I've been on another Fisher binge, and though I didn't like Serve so much as her other books (like, say, A Cordiall Water), I greatly enjoyed her writingfor its blend of history and telling anecdote. This one, about Frederick the Great's preferred cup, made me giggle (and contemplate re-creating the concoction, just to pass the time and see how it really tastes):

Frederick the Great used to make his own coffee, with much to-do and fuss. For water he used champagne. Then, to make the flavour stronger, he stirred in powdered mustard. Now to me it seems improbably that Frederick truly liked this brew. I suspect him of bravado. Or perhaps he was taste-blind.